Romeo for the Holidays

eukofiosDecember 2, 2012

Here is Romeo, produced by Millet et Fils in 1912. I bought it mail order this summer. Having run out of room, I planted it in a container. A few weeks ago the raised bed was ready to plant, but this one had a flower shoot. So I placed it in a cool room, sunny window. Here it is today.

It doesn't look a lot like photos of Romeo. Maybe it's the odd timing, or the odd situation, or the growth medium. It's in a used potting soil. Maybe it's mislabeled. I like it better than than the linked site. The colors have a sepia tone, like an old Kodachrome photo.

I don't know if winter blooming can be done intentionally. This was unplanned.

Hmmm, that doesn't look at all like Romeo- I'll bet it's a reblooming tall bearded iris that was mislabeled. I bought some this year that have already bloomed too- Desert Legacy by Margie Valenzuela, but it is listed as a reblooming iris. I don't think it's possible to get an iris without the gene for fall bloom to bloom in fall.
Renee

It probably won't bloom next Spring, having used the one mother rhizome for bloom now. The new growths are tiny. So I guess it will be 2014 before I see what it looks like in the garden under proper conditions! Long way away! Meanwhile I'm happy to have a unique holiday flower for the table!

Thanks, that sheds some light on the matter. C&T does list that one as Romeo even though their pic is labeled Romero. I googled on Iris Romero and could not come up with any irises but there was an interesting mug shot of someone by that name.

I actually like it better than the photos of Romeo. I guess I should call it "Uncertain ID"